Egypt has announced the completion of the world’s biggest agricultural drainage treatment project - Al Mahsamma agricultural drainage treatment, recycling and reuse plant - in Ismailia governorate at an investment of $100 million. 

 

The 1-million-cu-m-day-capacity plant has been developed by a joint venture of Metito, the multinational global provider of intelligent water management and alternative energy solutions, and Hassan Allam Construction, Egypt’s leading engineering, construction and infrastructure company, under the supervision of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. 

 

The giant plant, which has been built in a 42,000-sq-m area, was officially inaugurated by President AbdelFattah El Sisi in the presence of senior officials.

 

Al Mahsamma is part of Egypt’s progressive and multipronged approach to ensure the country’s water security through wastewater treatment, desalination, and preservation of natural water resources. 

 

The plant’s daily capacity will contribute to the conservation of the natural ecology of the Al Temsah Lake, located west of the Suez Canal, which has been impacted by wastewater disposal.

 

A state-of-the-art mega national project, Al Mahsamma is a milestone in Egypt's water security agenda and represents a qualitative leap in the field of agricultural wastewater treatment across Africa and will contribute to the cultivation of 70,000 acres in Sinai, he added.

 

Egypt is adopting a progressive policy towards achieving water security and is taking proactive steps, including recycling agricultural drainage and water desalination.

 

The JV scope of work for this flagship project includes the engineering, construction and operations, commissioning and operation and maintenance (O&M) for a period of five years.

 

Speaking at the launch, Metito Africa MD Engineer Karim Madwar said: "We are honoured to play our part in this world-class mega national project located in the highly strategic east of the Suez Canal area."

 

"In this project, we make use of the latest technologies for the treatment of agricultural drainage to produce suitable water for irrigation and land reclamation, following the highest quality standard and specs set by the Egyptian government," he stated.

 

Madwar also highlighted Metito’s commitment to utilise state-of-the-art technology and systems across its projects and in the various stages of water treatment, coupled with the integration of advanced digital and information technology. 

 

The IT system used aims to monitor the effectiveness of the site operations and to ensure the quality of water remains compliant with industry standard and client specifications, he noted.

 

Madwar pointed out that all Metito project sites are equipped with laboratories for on-site water analysis and quality testing round the clock supervised by dedicated experts.

 

The plant will contribute to the irrigation of 70,000 acres of land in the Sinai, as part of the government’s efforts to develop the region by creating sustainable urban communities and job opportunities in the area. 

 

The water is transferred to the plant from Ismailia irrigation drainage canal, located west of Suez Canal, using two individual pump stations crossing underneath the Suez Canal into Srabuim siphon. 

 

The water is further pumped through the plant’s pump station via eight vertical turbine type pumps - six working pumps and two on standby - with each pumping at a speed of 7,000 cu m/hr.

 

Chairman Hassan Allam said: "We are extremely proud to have been selected to contribute to the development of a project of such strategic importance, which we have been able to complete in a fast track record of ten months, amounting to 2.5 million man hours with no injuries or time lost – a testament to the state’s confidence in our capabilities."

 

"Al Mahsamma plant will significantly contribute to combating water scarcity in the country and will have a resounding impact on Egypt’s water security agenda, transforming the scope of wastewater treatment across Africa," stated Allam. 

 

"We are extending our efforts to provide the latest solutions that solve water poverty, one of the major regional and global concerns," he noted.

 

The project was named ‘Infrastructure Project of the Year’ at Dubai's 2019 Construction Innovation Awards and has been shortlisted for the ‘Wastewater Project of the Year’ award at the Global Water Awards, with results set to be announced at the Global Water Summit in Spain on a future date, he added.-TradeArabia News Service